Sprint HTC Evo Shift 4G Review

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Does the new Android slider stand up to Sprint's other 4G phones?

By Scott Lowe

Last week at CES, Sprint introduced the HTC Evo Shift 4G, their third 4G-enabled device, which will be offered alongside the HTC Evo 4G and Samsung Epic 4G starting this month. The device acts almost like an amalgamation of the two, providing the slider-style QWERTY keyboard of the Epic 4G with some of the Evo 4G's aesthetic design and features. As a fan of both the Evo 4G and the Epic 4G, I was pretty excited to see how the Evo Shift 4G compares, and I've been pleased with the results.

Despite initial reports, the Evo Shift 4G is nowhere near as thin or wide as the Evo 4G. In fact, its remarkably smaller, but substantially thicker. The front face is nearly the same size as the iPhone 4, but the battery and major components are shielded within the thick lower slider panel, which gives it a bit of heft.

Despite the added weight and thickness of the Shift, it actually feels compact and solid. The casing has a nice blue textured feel to it, making it easier to grip and less likely to slide off of surfaces.The slider is nice and stiff, and the keys are nicely sized and evenly arranged. Typing on the keypad is a breeze, with the keys intuitively placed in a manner similar to a full-sized QWERTY keyboard. Per usual, I would have preferred the keys to have had a higher profile for better tactile separation, but the Evo Shift 4G's are better than some.

Outside of the keypad, the on-screen interface, which is based on Android 2.2 Froyo, is identical to the Evo 4G, which also runs on the same OS and features HTC Sense. Sprint, of course, also pre-installs their network-specific apps, like Sprint TV, Sprint Zone, and Sprint Hotspot, the device's mobile hotspot app.

As a 4G-capable device, the HTC Evo Shift 4G is capable of serving as a high-speed wireless hotspot for up to eight devices simultaneously. We weren't able to test that many devices simultaneously, but using three or so at once yielded speeds of roughly 2.5Mbps on 4G. Unfortunately, Sprint's 4G network is not available in all areas, but that will slowly change as the company continues to roll their network out over the next year.

Though both the Epic 4G and Evo 4G sport front and rear facing cameras, the Shift only features one -- a 5-megapixel rear facing lens. The camera task great pictures and video, though the absence of a front-facing camera for mobile video conferencing is a admittedly a bit of a let down.

The device's processor is also less powerful than either of its 4G brethren, both of which packed 1GHz processors. The Shift, on the other hand, has only an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7630 processor under the hood.

Nevertheless, the Evo Shift 4G runs fairly well. I did notice an occasional slowdown with menu browsing and some hiccups while playing games, but on the whole, things were smooth.

Going into my experience with the Evo Shift 4G, I also had concerns regarding battery life. Having used the Evo 4G, and experienced abhorrent battery life (or lack thereof), I had high hopes for the Shift. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised. After opening the box in the morning and testing it extensively well into the evening, the Evo Shift 4G actually managed to hold a decent amount of charge, running down to only about 20-percent by mid-evening. Obviously, animated wallpapers, 4G connections, and active gaming will drive down performance, but for most, use will be more infrequent.

If I had to narrow down my qualms with the Evo Shift 4G, I'd say that it could use a little more processing power, a front facing camera, and to shed a few millimeters off of its total thickness. If I wanted to get really nitpicky, I'd also change the position of the built-in speaker, which is located on the back of the device, making it easy for audio to get smothered by your hands or a surface.

Overall, I'd say the HTC Evo Shift 4G for Sprint is a decent solution with a few notable flaws. I don't foresee it being someone's first pick in smartphone hardware, but for those just browsing for a limited frills slider, it'll suffice.